Technical Paper

Hydraulic cylinder for Tier4

Kenji Kanemaru
Koutaro Asano
Junpei Hayakawa
Satoshi Michikami

As the model change for being adapted for 4th emission gas emission regulation, experience of the market
in China, quality improvement and cost reduction was reflected on a hydraulic cylinder. The features of the
new cylinder are described.

Key Words: Tier4, Hydraulic cylinder, Dust seal, Piston rod, Rod packing, Buckup ring

1. Introduction As an indicator of hydraulic excavator miniaturization, the

Construction machinery was invented about two centuries
ago and originally driven by steam engines. The current
version of the hydraulic excavator was developed in the 1950s.
This paper describes the hydraulic cylinder used in hydraulic
excavators.
In the history of Komatsu’s main model 20-ton hydraulic
excavators, Type 1 was introduced in the 1980s, while the Type
10 series was launched in 2012 as the 8th generation. During
this time, the pressure of the hydraulic excavator was boosted
to miniaturize the hydraulic system. Fig. 1 summarizes the
changes in rated pressure, from models PC200-1 to PC200-10.
amount of work per unit weight increased 1.58 times when
translated into a functional value (Fig. 2). Assuming constant
thrust, the cylinder diameter can be reduced by boosting the
pressure. However, this presents problems such as an inability
to reduce the cylinder rod diameter due to the strength of the
piston rod that transmits the power to the work equipment and
the increased cylinder tube wall thickness required. Pressure is
not boosted significantly in the several recent model changes.
* Functional value: Thrust x Stroke/Cylinder weight

Rated Pressure Bore Diameter Rod Diameter

Type Model Year
(MPa) (mm) (mm)
Type PC200 -1 1980 24.5 150 100
-2 1982 27.5 140 90
-3 1984 31.4 130 95
-5 1988 33.3 135 95
-6 1992 34.8 135 95
-6 m/c 1996 34.8 135 95
-7 2001 37.3 135 95
-8 2005 37.3 135 95
-10 2010 37.3 135 95

Fig. 1 Changes in the rated pressure of PC200 (Arm cylinder)

Photo 1 HB205-1 (From the Komatsu catalog)

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Functional Value

Improvement in functional value Boosting of pressure SVC improvement and

by boosting pressure and weight reduction quality improvement

Fig. 2 Functional value of the hydraulic cylinder

2. Development Objective (1) Quality improvement items

• The use of a seal with enhanced dustproof performance
The cylinder under development incorporates quality against dust entering from outside.
enhancement and cost reduction achieved by utilizing • The use of a rod seal with enhanced heat resistance and a
experience gained in the Chinese market and changes in
contact-surface seal.
materials and processes into the material manufacturing
(2) Cost reduction items
process in response to the high material prices compared with • A review of piston rod material and change in alloy
conventional cylinders. These plus factors were implemented
components to secure strength equivalent to
based on model changes made to meet Tier 4 emission
conventional rod.
regulation (Fig. 3).
• Changed and added heat treatment processes for piston
The foregoing functional value is high compared with other
rods, securing strength equivalent to conventional rod,
manufacturers, whereas the main cylinder specification
using a material one class below.
remains unchanged.
• Restrained the residual tensile stress of the cylinder steel
When broken down, the material cost accounts for about
tube, securing strength equivalent to conventional tube,
70% of the cost of the hydraulic cylinder and countermeasures
using a material one class below.
to cope with the recent high price of steel materials remain a
major issue. Factors Incorporated in Cylinder Development Description
∙ Dustproof performance Change in the dust seal shape
Quality
Change in the rod packing material
enhancement ∙ Heat resistance
Change in the O-ring material
∙ Review of the piston rod material Change in the alloy component

∙ Change in the piston rod material Change in hardness penetration

Cost reduction + Change in heat treatment Heat treatment applied to threaded parts
∙ Change in the cylinder steel tube Material change by control of residual stress
∙ Deposit metal for cushion collar Review of the amount of deposited metal

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 Dust seal
(Enhanced quality)

Rod packing
(Enhanced quality) Backup ring
(Enhanced quality)

O-ring
(Enhanced quality) Cushion
(Cost reduction)

Piston rod (Cost reduction)

Cylinder steel tube

(Cost reduction)

Fig. 3 Overview of the developed cylinder

3. Principal Features
Dust Intrusion

The following items were incorporated into the new

hydraulic cylinder:

Conventional dust seal (General construction machinery)

3.1 Dust Seal with Enhanced Dustproof Performance
The conventional dust seal aims at reducing oil rings that are Improved dust seal
High

formed when minute amounts of oil film deposited on the

piston rod are scraped by the dust seal. The newly developed
Low ←→

and improved dust seal incorporates changes made in the seal Conventional dust seal (Small bulldozers)
lip shape, planar pressure and strained force and enhances the
dustproof performance while restraining scraping of oil films
Small ←→ Large Amount of oil film scraped
(Fig. 4).
Fig. 4 Evaluation of dust intrusion and oil-film scraping
performance

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 The dimensions of the dust seal itself are interchangeable
with conventional dust seals and the new dust seal can also be
fitted into conventional cylinders (Fig. 5).
Hydraulic
Atmosphere pressure side
side
Fig. 5 Appearance of the improved dust seal
3.2 Use of Rod Packing with Enhanced Heat Resistance
The reason for the enhanced heat resistance of the packing
material is to mitigate fatigue and deterioration of the packing
material if the packing is used at the same hydraulic oil
temperature, instead of raising the permissible temperature of
the hydraulic oil. The principal aim is to extend the seal life
(Fig. 6).
Interference
HNBR
NBR
Oil immersion time
Fig. 6 Result of the oil immersion test of NBR and HNBR
The material of the backup ring, which is used in
combination with the rod packing to ensure pressure resistance
performance, was changed from Teflon to Nylon to enhance
pressure resistance and simultaneously reduce cost (Fig. 7).
2011 VOL. 57 NO.164
Packing
Backup ring
Fig. 7 Appearance of rod packing
3.3 Use of a Contact-Surface Seal with Enhanced Heat
Resistance
For a notion equivalent to that used in the rod packing
mentioned above, the material for the O-ring was changed to a
heat resistant material, while the material for the backup ring
was changed from Teflon to Nylon (Fig. 8).
The O-rings in tube joints continue to use the conventional
material because the tube joints are anchored by bolts and there
are no clearances for extrusion.
O-Ring (Material changed
from NBR to HNBR)
Backup Ring (Material changed from Teflon to Nylon)
Fig. 8 Application example (Cylinder head contact surface)
3.4 Change in Material of Piston Rod
Material strengths are generally determined by carbon
equivalents of the materials. Accordingly, by substituting
elements whose prices are skyrocketing, materials were
developed that maintain equivalent tensile strength, hardness
and impact value. The prices of the steel materials themselves
remain very high. However, the costs of the object elements
have gone down and these materials are not yet used with
piston rods.
Hydraulic cylinder for Tier4
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 Sliding part Threaded
Step
part

Photo 2 Piston rods

3.5 Change in Heat Treatment of Piston Rod

The strength required for piston rods is roughly halved, for
buckling and piston fastening parts. The raw material cost was
also restrained by changing and adding heat treatment
conditions.
Strengths that are one class higher were secured for the
buckling strength by increasing the thickness of the hardened
layer and maintaining the bending strength of piston rods and
for the piston fastening parts by adding heat treatment to the
conventional material strength. Conditions for hardening and
tempering were established for heat treatment, allowing heat
treatment by an induction coil. (Figs. 9 and 10).
<Before>
Sliding part Step
Fig. 10 Macroscopic photo of developed part after heat treatment
3.6 Change in Material of Cylinder Steel Tube
From Model PC200-3 onward, Komatsu started to use
electric welded tubes as steel tubes of hydraulic cylinders,
instead of the seamless tubes previously used, ahead of other
machine manufacturers. Initially, 540 N/mm2 high tensile
strength steel was used, but 735 N/mm2 high tensile strength
steel has since been used from PC200-7 to achieve thin wall
thickness and light weight. A method to control residual stress
without changing the wall thickness of steel tubes was
developed and equivalent strength was maintained with 620
N/mm2 high tensile strength steel.

<Newly Developed Material> Photo 3 Appearance of the hydraulic cylinder

Sliding part Step 3.7 Other Change

(increased thickness of The cushion component of the cylinder with a cushion slides
hardened layer)
under high pressure of 80 MPa and a copper alloy is welded
onto the sliding part of the cushion component to prevent
galling. The weld metal was reduced by examining the wear of
machines after many hours of operation and changing the
thickness to the required and suitable level (Fig. 11).
Threaded part
* Slant-line parts are layers hardened by heat treatment

Fig. 9 Schematic depiction of the heat treated parts of rods

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 Introduction of the writers

Kenji Kanemaru
Entered Komatsu in 1982.
Currently assigned to the Hydraulic
Equipment Technical Center, Corporate
Development Division.

Koutaro Asano
Entered Komatsu in 2005.
Currently assigned to the Hydraulic
(a) Appearance of the cushion component (b) Sectional view Equipment Technical Center, Corporate
Development Division.
<Before>

<Less weld metal used>

Junpei Hayakawa
Entered Komatsu in 2008.
Currently assigned to the Hydraulic
Equipment Technical Center, Corporate
Development Division.

(c) Enlarged view of the weld zone

Fig. 11 Cushion component

4. Conclusion Satoshi Michikami
No direct suggestion for improvement to meet the Tier4 Entered Komatsu in 2001.
Currently assigned to the Hydraulic
emission regulation was made. Nevertheless, cost improvement
Equipment Technical Center, Corporate
to restrain the skyrocketing steel price and quality Development Division.
improvement could be achieved for conventional cylinder.
In recent years, the demand for hydraulic excavators has
shifted to emerging economies, centering on China. The newly
developed cylinder will be installed in machines destined for
these regions and it is hoped that the new cylinder will win [A few words from the writers]
high acclaim of users worldwide. The mainstay cylinder could be completed successfully thanks
to the cooperation of manufacturers of steel, seals and other
products to meet the hurdles of quality, cost and delivery time
(QCD) that are present for each model change. The writers thank
them for their cooperation.

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